Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

designation of Jesus, “the Son of Man,” whatever connotation it may have, certainly
also indicates the veritable humanity of Jesus. Moreover, it is said that the Lord came or
was manifested in the flesh, John 1:14; I Tim. 3:16; I John 4:2. In these passages the term
“flesh” denotes human nature. The Bible clearly indicates that Jesus possessed the
essential elements of human nature, that is, a material body and a rational soul, Matt.
26:26,28,38; Luke 23:46; 24:39; John 11:33; Heb. 2:14. There are also passages which show
that Jesus was subject to the ordinary laws of human development, and to human wants
and sufferings, Luke 2:40,52; Heb. 2:10,18; 5:8. It is brought out in detail that the normal
experiences of man’s life were His, Matt. 4:2; 8:24; 9:36; Mk. 3:5; Lk. 22:44; John 4:6;
11:35; 12:27; 19:28,30; Heb. 5:7.
3. SCRIPTURE PROOF FOR THE SINLESS HUMANITY OF CHRIST. We ascribe to Christ not
only natural, but also moral, integrity or moral perfection, that is sinlessness. This
means not merely that Christ could avoid sinning (potuit non peccare), and did actually
avoid it, but also that it was impossible for Him to sin (non potuit peccare) because of the
essential bond between the human and the divine natures. The sinlessness of Christ has
been denied by Martineau, Irving, Menken, Holsten, and Pfleiderer, but the Bible clearly
testifies to it in the following passages: Luke 1:35; John 8:46; 14:30; II Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15;
9:14; I Pet. 2:22; I John 3:5. While Christ was made to be sin judicially, yet ethically He
was free from both hereditary depravity and actual sin. He never makes a confession of
moral error; nor does He join His disciples in praying, “Forgive us our sins.” He is able
to challenge His enemies to convince Him of sin. Scripture even represents Him as the
one in whom the ideal man is realized, Heb. 2:8,9; I Cor. 15:45; II Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:21.
Moreover, the name “Son of Man,” appropriated by Jesus, seems to intimate that He
answered to the perfect ideal of humanity.
4. THE NECESSITY OF THE TWO NATURES IN CHRIST. It appears from the preceding that,
in the present day, many do not recognize the necessity of assuming two natures in
Christ. To them Jesus is but a man; yet at the same time they feel constrained to ascribe
to Him the value of a God, or to claim divinity for Him in virtue of the immanence of
God in Him, or of the indwelling Spirit. The necessity of the two natures in Christ
follows from what is essential to the Scriptural doctrine of the atonement.
a. The necessity of His manhood. Since man sinned, it was necessary that the penalty
should be borne by man. Moreover, the paying of the penalty involved suffering of
body and soul, such as only man is capable of bearing, John 12:27; Acts 3:18; Heb. 2:14;
9:22. It was necessary that Christ should assume human nature, not only with all its
essential properties, but also with all the infirmities to which it is liable after the fall, and
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